Headquarters Mulls Retreat for Customs Public Relation Officers

BY GBOGBOWA GBOWA

There are indications that the management of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) is considering a proposal to organize a retreat for its officers at the service’s public relations department.

According to grapevine report, the idea said to have been conceived at the Comptroller General Of Customs, Bashir Adewale Adeniyi’s Office is believed to have received the CGC’s favourable response, even as our source claimed that the customs helmsman is rumoured to be central to the idea.

Efforts to confirm with the ACG Headquarters, ACG Ajogun has however proved abortive as calls to his telephone line have not been connecting.  Text message also sent to him on the matter has not been replied as at the time of this publication.

CGC Adeniyi with a rich public relations background is the first to occupy the NCS number one office. Ace customs public relations officers who have climbed high in the management hierarchy includes ACG Shina Odumbaku Rtd,  Comptroller UK Bello, current Emir Kankawan, Comptroller Jospeh Attah Rtd, and Comptroller Victor Dimka Rtd.

Incidentally the present administration led by Adeniyi a public relations guru is supported at critical fronts by officers with public relations background, namely Comptroller Dera Nnadi mni (CAC Tin Can), Comptroller Timi Bomodi (CAC Seme) and immediate past National Customs Public Relations Officer, Comptroller Babatunde Olomu (CAC Apapa) and Comptroller Musa Omale (immediate past CAC Sokoto/Zamfara Command).  Other PRO holding forth in the current administration includes Dep Comptroller Steve Okonma, Assist. Comptroller Nkiru Nwala and Assist. Comptroller Ephraim Haruna.

Although our sources did not say when the planned retreat will hold, one of the sources simply said that the arrangement is still being discussed on a hush note, noting that it could hold before or around October this year.

Should the rumour be true, the retreat will no doubt bolster the effectiveness of the public relations unit, since it cannot but be elaborate and professionally designed to further equip PROs with newer skill sets.

There is also no doubt that such training will go down as the first to be presided over by a gentleman officer who understands the operational and administrative dynamics of the NCS, and the first with every claim to being a public relations juggernaut, sitting atop the affairs of the service, and turning the tide of negative public image.

Although the immediate past administration approved regular special training and retreats for the service’s image makers, feelers from the public relations department at the headquarters in Abuja however indicate that they are unaware of the present arrangement.